[Isolation and identification of Toxoplasma gondii strains from cats in Xuzhou region].

Objective: To isolate Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) strains from stray cats and explore their prevalence in Xuzhou City.

Methods: The sera of 41 stray cats were collected to detect the antibodies of T. gondii by using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) kit. The tissues including the heart, brain and tongue from these cats were digested by acid pepsin solution and inoculated to Kunming mice. These suspicious isolates were subsequently identified by a specific PCR method.

Results: A total of 11 strains were isolated from 41 stray cats, which were confirmed by the PCR results. Moreover, 17 cats (41.5%) were found to be positive with the antibodies of T. gondii.

Conclusion: A high prevalence of T. gondii infection was found in Xuzhou City, which indicates that the stray cats infected with T. gondii would be an important infection source that may infect humans and other animals in this area.